Aleutian Road Trip - Part II

We are just back from being held over on the beach at Hallo Bay for several extra days, but in time to depart Homer on the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry, aboard the Tustumena. The Tustumena, one of the oldest boats in the state ferry system, was built in 1964, the same year a 9.2 earthquake rocked the Alaskan block. Affectionately known at the "Trusty Tusty," sometimes derogatorily known as the "Rusty Tusty." and previously known at the "Vomit Comet," we prepare for the night with a dose of Dramamine.

Our first night out is the run to Kodiak. We are rocked to sleep in seas of 7-9 feet. (This is a measure of the distance between the crest of a wave and the neighboring trough.) On this part of the run, we have had to settle for a twin bunk stateroom, which is pretty cramped when the luggage is stowed, as there really is no provision to stow luggage. If you robbed a convenience store, you would be given better accomodations at the county lock-up. Luckily, we will be assigned a four-berth "stateroom" for the rest of our trip, which will give us bunks for the suitcases. Much of my luggage is camera gear.

This small fishing village hosts a cannery, but is largely closed down and buttoned up for the coming winter. At Chignik, we enjoy a population swap. The ship's population departs and sets about to roaming town, while the town's population boards the ship to visit the ship's cafeteria and score a "McTusty Burger," a big event in town with the Tustumena visits every few weeks.

The light falls marvelously on Castle Rock as we round the point from Chignik. While the Aleutians are largely volcanic islands, occasionally horizontal beds indicate islands composed of sedimentary rock.

Day 3 - We have a bit of an overcast day today, which is unfortunate as the day has promises of active volcanoes sporting smokey plumes along this stretch of the run. Overall, we cannot complain about the weather so far, so we accept the day's loss graciously. The treat of the day will be a long stop at Cold Bay, population of about 100, where we will be treated to a visit to Izembek Wildlife Refuge.

Izembek Wildlife Refuge personnel offer ship's passengers a shuttle and tour into the refuge. Usually, a lottery is held on board the ship to see who gets to enjoy this limited capacity excursion, but at this time of year the ship's population is small enough to allow everyone who is interested a seat on the bus. Along the way, a family of red foxes pose for us outside their den.

Our "guide" (who qualified himself as "not a guide" but a mechanic who takes advantage of the occasional opportunity to get out of the shop and show folks around) very graciously offers us the option to ask for the bus to pull over and make a stop at any point we want to take a closer look at anything along the way. I had to take advantage of the offer, and requested a stop along the road to indulge in this wonderful wildflower moment.

Boat notes: The Tusty is a small and intimate boat. Nothing is too far away between the forward lounge, the solarium, and the stern, where our "stateroom" is located. It is not overcrowded, as are many of the ferrys in Southeast Alaska and passengers on the Tusty quickly get to know on another. There is always a place to sit! There is no cafeteria, per se, the dining is in a sit-down galley where you order and food is delivered. Lot's of dining options, though they all seem to come with fries. Tipping is not allowed.

Day 4 finds us at our destination in Unalaska, and the city of Dutch Harbor, where we will disembark from the Tustumena and take up residence for a few days at the Grand Aleutian Hotel (the only real game in town) until we fly out to Kodiak. This will allow us a few days to explore the area at some length, rather than get back on the boat a few hours after docking for the four-day return to Homer.

Dutch Harbor is ranked as a top fishing port with more than a billion dollars transferred each year. Huge harvests of pollock and cod in the Bering Sea are part of this total. The Bering Sea has a continental shelf that is one of the world’s largest, and supports a rich ecosystem.

Military ruins of Fort Schwatka, the highest coastal battery ever constructed in the United States. Remnants of the military occupation are present all over the island, including on top of Mount Ballyhoo, the location of Fort Schwatka.

Fort Schwatka is one of the first points of interest we explore in Dutch Harbor. This military base had guns capable of firing two miles out to sea to protect US waters, but during the Japanese attack on Dutch Harbor, the guns were too large to be of any defensive service. The only times they were fired was an occasional practice shot out to sea.

Much of the fort has been destroyed through removal or weathering, but there is a lot of the fort still standing and open to exploration, including underground magazines, pill boxes, and gun emplacement mounts. Nothing is closed or locked off, and the sense of history that pervades accompanies me as I hike and explore.

There are no bears on Unalaska. This squirrel atop Mount Ballyhoo at Fort Schwatka was the largest mammal we saw during our visit. The hilltop is covered in lupine, though not in bloom, and I want to come back in the spring to see the carpet of color that must blanket the island. I understand during the early summer birds nesting around these structures would offer an exceptional photographic opportunity as well.

In 1825, the Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Ascension was built in Unalaska. This landmark church is a must see in Dutch Harbor. The founding priest, Ivan Veniaminov, later canonized as Saint Innocent of Alaska, composed the first Aleut writing system with local assistance, and translated scripture into Aleut.

Holy Ascension of Our Lord Cathedral, as it stands today, was built in 1896. The structure was restored in 1996. The interior is from the original chapel with the exception of the lower level of the bell tower, which had to be replaced. The current cathedral is the 4th church built for the Unalaska parish. This site has been used for a church as early as 1808 when the first chapel was built.

So we have opted to fly out of Dutch Harbor, through Anchorage, to the town of Kodiak, where we will spend a few days exploring before reconnecting with the Tustumena that will return us to Homer, where our car is patiently parked.

We have a wonderful waterside vacation rental. Sunrise on a perfect day; something Kodiak is not well known for: good weather. Our rental was at the Bayview & River Inn, which I would highly recommend. You will need a rental car to enjoy this out of the way location.

So far what has really been on my wish list of things to "shoot" are puffins and sea otters. To this end, we signed up with Galley Gourmet for a dinner cruise around the island with the idea that we would have the opportunity I have been hoping for.

Marty and Marion are our hosts with Galley Gourmet. Marty used to be the harbormaster at Kodiak, now retired, and Marty is a photographer and great cook. Six guests in addition to Marty and Marion make for an intimate and friendly excursion in the family yacht. Our first bit of wildlife was a group of sea lions on a float built just for them at the edge of the harbor.

Along the way we were treated to puffins, cormorants, American oystercatchers, and sea otters. A bit of a challenge to photograph moving water fowl from a rocking boat with a 500 mm lens, but it can be done.

Perhaps my favorite of the puffin pictures, these posers gave me a small edge on a clear shot by just standing around. The interesting challenge was the boat kept moving along, changing the composition quickly, but this also served as an advantage at times.

Perhaps the cutest things on the water are the sea otters. Often far off, the challenge to get a clean shot with a big lens and a great distance on a rocking boat is compounded by the additional challenge of convincing the camera to focus on the eyes and not the feet, which are often predominant in the classic shots. Take enough pictures, and you hedge your bet that some will turn out.

Our last day in Kodiak was spent enjoying the tidal pools of Fort Abercrombie, which is another of the historic ruins of a World War II coastal defense installation. Pools were full of interesting items such as this anemone and chiton and shell fish. At the end of the day, we once again boarded the Tustumena for the return run to Homer. We slept through the voyage, and arrived slightly after dawn to carry on our journey home to Haines.

Driving up through the Kenai Penninsula, it was hard to make progress as the foliage was in peak season. I am a sucker for reflections, and this scene (among others) would not let me pass without pause for contemplation, composition, and appreciation.

We had stopped at this location overlooking the Matanuska Glacier on our way to Homer a few weeks earlier, and I got what I thought was a wonderful shot, but by the time we returned on this day, the aspen and tundra foliage had really hit their peak.

We discover that we can actually drive down a side road to gain access to the face of the glacier. This is perhaps the most accessible glacier experience in Alaska. There is an entrance station and a fee to be paid, and once again I get to enjoy the benefits of age by receiving a senior discount, and we proceed to the face and marvel at the opportunity to walk and explore the Matanuska Glacier

We are due to spend the night at the Gakona Lodge (a few hours up the road) and hoped to make it there in time to take advantage of their restaurant, but the opportunity to immerse ourselves in another age and another reality are too good to pass up. I always like to remember the words of Lao Tse: "The good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving." There is no way we can sacrifice the present.

On our way to Gakona Lodge, I wondered if we were ever going to make it as the scenery kept compelling me to pull over marvel at nature's pallet. We actually made it for dinner, despite my best efforts at delaying our arrival.

We rise the next day to engage in a side excursion. Leaving the Glenn Highway, we travel briefly up the Richardson Highway to Paxson, where we will indulge in the foliage and make a run down the Denali Highway

The Denali Highway is a gravel road that stretches 135 miles between Paxson and Cantwell. Many parts of the Denali Highway travel along Eskers or ridges of gravel formed by streams flowing under glaciers. As much of the area was covered by glaciers thousands of years ago, the builders of this road used a natural feature to construct the road rather than cutting across lower lands filled with water and tundra. This particular esker also allows the visitor to view many Kames, conical hills or terraces, and Kettle Lakes, holes formed by melting blocks of glacial ice.

We actually just missed the peak foliage season on the Denali Highway, but there was enough remaining to make the trip very worthwhile. It was the beginning of hunting season, and caribou hunters were out in force on ATVs. Everyone had binoculars out and were scanning for some game, no one we saw was getting much beyond searching for some sign. We were happy for the caribou and wished them well for their future.

On my list of t hings to do is take the "shuttle" up to Maclaren Glacier, "courtesy" of the Maclaren River Lodge, and camp a few days in the camps they provide at the face, then boat back down the river to the lodge.

Returning back to the Richardson Highway, it is time to head for home. Given the little side trip down the Denali Highway, it will take us the better part of two days to return to Haines. I always have to factor in the pull-over time I spend, being a sucker for sumptuous scenes and reflective moments.

It took a while, what with stops at every turn, but we finally made it home to Haines. Upon entering the house, and lifting the shades to look out over the wonder of the Chilkat Range, I was once again grateful to live in a place that we are always happy to land at the end of a long lovely trip.